How to Build Node.js from Source: Easy Step-by-Step Guide (2025)

Want to create your own custom version of Node.js? 🚀 Whether you're a beginner or experienced developer, this guide will walk you through the process step by step!

Quick Summary: Building Node.js takes about 15-30 minutes. You'll install some tools, download the code, and run a few commands to build your own custom version.

What You'll Learn in This Guide:

✅ Why build Node.js yourself - and when it's useful
✅ How to prepare your computer - with simple commands to install everything
✅ Step-by-step build process - with explanations anyone can understand
✅ Solutions to common problems - so you don't get stuck
✅ How to test your custom Node.js - to make sure everything works

About Me and Why You Can Trust This Guide

Hi! I'm Jesús Paz, and I build Node.js packages professionally as a maintainer of the NodeSource Distributions repository.

For over 5 years, I've been creating the packages that let you easily install Node.js with commands like apt install nodejs. I've compiled Node.js thousands of times on different systems, so I know exactly what works and what doesn't!

This guide shares all my practical knowledge in simple terms that anyone can follow.

What You Need Before Starting

You'll need these tools on your Linux computer:

ToolWhat It DoesHow to Check If You Have It
GCC and G++ (v12.2+)Compiles the codegcc --version
GNU Make (v3.81+)Automates the buildmake --version
Python (v3.x)Runs build scriptspython3 --version
glibc (v2.28+)System libraryldd --version

Don't worry if you don't have these yet - I'll show you how to install everything!

What is glibc and Why Does It Matter?

Think of glibc as the foundation of your Linux system. It provides basic functions that most programs need, including Node.js.

Important: If you're using an older Linux system (like Ubuntu 18.04), you might have an outdated version of glibc. Newer Node.js versions (18+) need glibc 2.28 or newer.

If your glibc is too old, you have two options:

  1. Upgrade your Linux distribution
  2. Use a special build from the Unofficial Builds Repository

Building Node.js: Step by Step

Step 1: Choose Which Version You Want

First, decide which version of Node.js you want to build:

  • LTS (Long-Term Support) versions (recommended for most users):
    • Node.js 18: v18.x branch
    • Node.js 20: v20.x branch
    • Node.js 22: v22.x branch
  • Latest development version: main branch

For this guide, we'll use the main branch, but you can easily switch to any version.

Step 2: Install Required Tools

Copy and paste this command to install everything you need:

# For Ubuntu/Debian systems:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3 g++-12 gcc-12 make python3-pip git

# For Fedora/RHEL/CentOS:
sudo dnf install -y python3 gcc-c++ gcc make python3-pip git

Step 3: Get the Node.js Source Code

Download the Node.js source code with these commands:

git clone https://github.com/nodejs/node.git
cd node
git checkout main  # Change this to v20.x or another version if you prefer

Step 4: Set Up the Build

Prepare your system for building:

# Tell the build to use g++-12
export CXX=g++-12

# Configure the build
./configure

What this does: The configure script checks your system and prepares everything for building Node.js.

Step 5: Build Node.js

Now let's build Node.js:

make -j$(nproc)

What this does: This command compiles Node.js using all your CPU cores to make it faster. This step takes the longest (5-20 minutes depending on your computer).

Step 6: Test Your New Node.js

After the build finishes, let's make sure it works:

# Run your newly built Node.js
./node -e "console.log('Success! I built Node.js ' + process.version + ' myself!')"

You should see a message showing your Node.js version. If you do, congratulations! 🎉

Step 7: Install System-Wide (Optional)

If you want to use your custom Node.js anywhere on your system:

sudo make install

After this, you can run node from any folder.

Common Problems and Solutions

Problem: "Command not found" errors

Solution: Make sure you've installed all the required packages from Step 2.

Problem: Build errors related to glibc

Solution: Check your glibc version with ldd --version. If it's older than 2.28:

  1. Try using an older Node.js version (Node.js 16 works with glibc 2.17+)
  2. Upgrade your Linux distribution
  3. Use Docker to build in a newer environment

Problem: Build takes too long

Solution: The -j$(nproc) flag uses all your CPU cores. On a very old computer, try using fewer cores (like make -j2).

Why Build Node.js from Source?

There are several good reasons to build Node.js yourself:

  • Customization: Add or remove features to fit your specific needs
  • Learning: Understand how Node.js works internally
  • Testing new features: Try the latest features before they're officially released
  • Contributing: Test your changes if you want to contribute to Node.js
  • Specific environments: Create a version for unusual or restricted environments

What's Next?

Now that you've built your own Node.js:

  1. Try using it for your projects
  2. Explore the source code to learn how Node.js works
  3. Experiment with different build flags (run ./configure --help to see options)

If you found this guide helpful, check out my other articles about Node.js and JavaScript development!

Happy coding! 🚀